Basketball

NBA Slam Dunk champion Mac McClung says he has two opportunities to do something truly historic this weekend ... telling TMZ Sports he's ready to reveal a pair of moves that have never been done before!!

The G League star -- who wowed the entire basketball world with his top performance in 2023 -- peeled back the curtain on this year's contest ... and it sounds like fans can expect nothing short of fireworks.

"I think I have three dunks that haven't been done in a contest before, but I think two of them haven't been done by anybody before," McClung said. "So I hope I can make them -- if I make them, I'll be happy and I do them right."

"But we put a lot of effort into it and hope it goes well."

Mac -- who currently plays for the Osceola Magic -- says there are about six different dunks he's got ready to go ... and the only real issue is figuring out which ones he'll pick.

But it's not just the dunks that have him excited -- he hinted there could be some cameo appearances featured in his routine as well.

McClung is going up against some fellow high-flying athletes -- Jaylen Brown, Jaime Jaquez and Jacob Toppin -- and he admitted he'll be just like the fans as he watches them perform.

There will be a lot more than a shiny trophy on the line for McClung -- the hooper recently partnered with hi-tech insoles company, VKTRY ... and if he repeats as champion, he's giving out $ 500k worth of product to a number of lucky fans who register for the giveaway.

McClung raved about the insoles ... claiming they give him a big advantage on the court.

Dude better be careful, or he's gonna need a helmet when his head hits the roof.

You won't see Josh Hart anywhere near the NBA All-Star festivities this weekend ... 'cause the Knicks guard absolutely HATES the host city -- essentially calling the entire state of Indiana a dump.

All 30 teams' biggest names are flocking to Indianapolis for the event ... but Hart made it clear he's skipping out on hanging with his NBA buddies to avoid spending any unnecessary time in the Hoosier State.

"Hell no, I'm not going to Indianapolis," Hart said on his "Roommates Show" podcast with Jalen Brunson and guest Mikal Bridges. "If I don't have to play the Indiana Pacers, I'm not stepping foot in that state."

"I do not want to be in Indiana for any All-Star break, anything. I'm not an Indiana guy. I don't want to be there [when I play against the Pacers]. I'm not an Indiana fan."

Hart continued to pile on the state ... evoking Joakim Noah's infamous rant about Cleveland in the process.

"What's good about Indiana?" he added ... admitting there are actually two positives that come to mind -- a White Castle and a local bakery.

"If not those two things ... Indiana, bottom of the barrel."

Iowa star Caitlin Clark got a ton of love from A-listers like Tom Brady, Brittney Griner and Damian Lillard after becoming the NCAA's all-time leading scorer ... but there's one shoutout that stood out from the rest -- a congratulatory post from Angel Reese.

Clark was the star of the night as the Hawkeyes took down Michigan on Thursday ... dropping 49 points and solidifying her title as the greatest scorer in women's college basketball history.

The moment she broke Kelsey Plum's record of 3,527 points was truly special ... as she nailed a deep three-pointer from the edge of the half-court logo.

The tributes poured in after the accomplishment ... including a star-studded video posted on the Big Ten Network's X account, which featured personal messages from Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, Gayle King, Peyton and Eli Manning and the G.O.A.T. himself.

Heck, even Clark the Cub got in on the celebration!!

Clark's former on-court nemesis also took the time to give props ... with Reese going to social media to send a special note.

"Congratulations @CaitlinClark22," the LSU star said. "KEEP BREAKING RECORDS & MAKING HER-STORY! 🖤💛🔥"

The two had their beef during the national championship game last season, in which Reese hit Clark with the John Cena "You Can't See Me" gesture -- something Caitlin did in the past.

Reese's taunting was dubbed unsportsmanlike by many ... which forced Clark to speak out and say any criticism toward the Bayou Barbie was unwarranted.

Tipoff for an NCAA men's basketball game was delayed on Thursday night ... and it's all 'cause members of one team got stuck in an elevator while on their way to the court.

Seriously!!!

It all went down at the Wellness Center in Brookville, New York ... when the visiting Fairleigh Dickinson Univ. Knights tried to get to their game against LIU Brooklyn -- but simply couldn't, because of a faulty elevator.

As the team was packed into the lift that was supposed to take it from the locker room to the floor ... the ride broke -- trapping players inside.

Thankfully, with the help of firefighters, the Knights were released after about 15 minutes.

It didn't seem to faze the guys too much ... although one player said just after the incident that it sure was hot while inside of the metal box.

The team, though, still ended up putting the whole fiasco behind it and pulled off a come-from-behind, 84-82, win. And, if you're wondering, yes, they did take the stairs the rest of the evening.

P.J. Tucker's straight-up not having a good time in L.A. ... and somehow, it's gotten worse -- the Clippers forward was just fined a whopping $75,000 for publicly saying he wanted to be traded earlier this month.

Tucker -- who was part of the James Harden deal with the 76ers back in October -- has grown more and more upset with his current team in recent months ... having only played in 12 matchups for the Clips.

It got to the point where Tucker told the media he was ready to pack up his shoe collection and leave town for a new squad ... saying he had his "fingers crossed" he'd get either traded or bought out.

"I want to be somewhere where I’m needed, wanted and can do it all," Tucker told Andscape last week.

The league got wind of Tucker's comments ... sharing a statement on the hefty punishment just minutes ago.

"The NBA announced today that LA Clippers forward P.J. Tucker has been fined $75,000 by the NBA for public comments reported during the week of February 5 expressing a desire to be traded to another team," the Association said.

Ty Lue has opened up about Tucker in the past ... saying he understands the athlete wants to compete, but hopes he can still have a positive impact on the team.

Tucker wasn't traded prior to the trade deadline ... and he will be away from the Clippers until after the All-Star break.

11:20 AM PT -- Isaiah Stewart's attorney, Alex Spiro, clearly believes the situation has been blown out of proportion, telling TMZ Sports ... "Isaiah was issued a ticket -- not arrested -- and we expect the case to be dismissed."

Spiro also added that I.S. was not put in handcuffs ... and was released after receiving the citation.

Pistons center Isaiah Stewart was arrested for allegedly assaulting Suns forward Drew Eubanks during an altercation before Detroit's game against Phoenix on Wednesday.

The Phoenix Police Department said in a statement the alleged incident occurred in a parking tunnel at Footprint Arena in Arizona at around 4:45 PM -- roughly an hour before tip-off.

Cops said when officers arrived on the scene, they spoke with several bystanders ... who told them the two athletes had gotten into a verbal altercation as they arrived at the arena that turned violent.

"Witnesses said the argument escalated when they saw Stewart punch Eubanks, causing a minor injury," the Phoenix PD said in its statement. "Both men were separated by security which ended the fight."

A short time later, police said they arrested Stewart for assault ... and issued a citation. He was released -- but cops say the investigation remains ongoing.

The Pistons said they were aware of the incident ... adding that they're "in the process of gathering information about what happened and what provoked it, and responding to the NBA and local authorities."

Kevin Durant -- who was traded to the Suns in 2023 -- spoke about the situation after the game ... calling it "unfortunate." He did say, though, the team has Drew's back.

"It’s supposed to be a brotherhood," Durant said. "But I also understand, dudes get into stuff. We try to avoid that in this league, hopefully we can move on from it. We all support Drew."

Stewart -- a first-round pick in 2020 -- is averaging 11 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season. He gained national notoriety in 2021 after he got into a physical altercation with LeBron James on the court.

Eubanks, meanwhile, signed with the Suns last year after playing for the Blazers and Spurs. He's currently averaging 5.7 points per game.

Shaquille O'Neal has super athletic kids, but the "most skilled" ... well that's his hoop star daughter, Me'Arah O'Neal, according to her bro, Shareef O'Neal!

"I've always said this my whole life that she was the best one out of all of us," 24-year-old Shareef told TMZ Sports in Las Vegas.

"You can ask my dad, he's gonna say the same thing. Me'Arah is, for sure, the most skilled, talented O'Neal."

Being the best in the O'Neal family is no small feat ... the big guy has some talented children, including the aforementioned Shareef, a college basketball player who hooped in the NBA's G League.

There's also Shaqir, a redshirt forward at Texas Southern, and Shaq's daughter, Amirah, who also used to play college hoops.

As for 17-year-old Me'Arah, she was just named to the exclusive McDonald's All-American team.

She has committed to play for the Florida Gators.

Shareef said he knew Me'Arah would be a star when she was younger ... and only wanted to play ball against him and his older friends.

Now, he's watching her blossom into a basketball star ... which he says brings tears to his eyes.

"She's a different level," Shareef said. "I just love seeing my family win. She's gonna be the deal, though!"

Larsa Pippen y Marcus Jordan se están dando un tiempo... y la ruptura se produce después de algunos problemas personales, los cuales esperan solucionar pronto.

Fuentes directas le dicen a TMZ que Larsa y Marcus están cada uno por su cuenta en estos momentos debido a problemas de pareja. Larsa llegó a la conclusión el fin de semana de que tenían que darse un tiempo.

Larsa y Marcus fueron vistos juntos por primera vez en septiembre de 2022, y nos dicen que habían estado viviendo juntos y pasando 24 horas al día en compañía del otro, como nuestras fuentes dicen, era un noviazgo que iba viento en popa.

Ahora, ha habido una desaceleración importante, aunque nos dicen que Larsa y Marcus todavía se hablan y están tratando de arreglar los problemas.

El sexo parecía ser siempre algo importante para ellos, recordemos lo mucho que a Larsa le gustaba presumir de lo mucho que lo hacían. Por lo tanto, el problema no era por ese lado.

El hecho de que todavía se comunican llama la atención, como informamos, se dejaron de seguir en redes sociales y borraron todas las fotos en las que salían juntos de sus respectivas páginas.

Nuestras fuentes dicen que la ruptura no fue por una cosa en particular, en cambio, como todas las relaciones, nos dicen que Larsa y Marcus simplemente están pasando por una mala racha. Pero sabemos que están tratando de superarlo.

Recuerde, Larsa es 16 años mayor que Marcus, y Michael Jordan es ha sido muy abierto en decir que no aprueba su relación. El ex marido de Larsa es Scottie Pippen, pero nos dicen que nada de eso tuvo que ver con la ruptura.

Será interesante ver si Larsa y Marcus resuelven las cosas y vuelven a estar juntos. Nuestras fuentes dicen que podría pasar.

Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan are calling a timeout on their relationship ... and the split comes after some issues cropped up between them -- ones they're hoping to smooth out.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Larsa and Marcus recently put a pause on dating while they work through a bump in the road, with Larsa coming to the conclusion over the weekend that they needed to call things off -- at least for the time being, anyway.

Larsa and Marcus were first spotted together in September 2022, and we're told they had been living together and spending 24 hours a day in each other's company ... as our sources put it, their courtship was moving 100 MPH.

Now, it's all grinding to a halt - or at the minimum, a major slow-down -- although we're told Larsa and Marcus are still talking to each other as they try to figure out how they can move forward romantically.

Sex seemed to always be a big deal for them ... remember, Larsa liked to brag about how much they were banging. So, on its face that wasn't the problem.

The fact they're still communicating is interesting ... as we reported, they unfollowed each other on social media and scrubbed pics of them together from their respective pages.

Now, our sources say the split wasn't caused by one specific thing ... instead, like all relationships, we're told Larsa and Marcus are simply in the middle of a rough patch. Something we know they're trying to get on the same page about ... trust.

Remember, Larsa is 16 years older than Marcus and Michael Jordan famously said he didn't approve of their relationship -- Larsa's ex-husband is Scottie Pippen -- but we're told none of that played a role in the split.

It will be interesting to see if Larsa and Marcus work things out and get back together somewhere down the line ... right now, our sources are suggesting that may happen.

Shaquille O'Neal's days on the TNT desk might be numbered ... 'cause the NBA legend revealed he'd leave his "Inside the NBA" gig to work with the Orlando Magic during his emotional jersey retirement ceremony.

The Big Aristotle was the man of the hour at the Magic vs. OKC Thunder game on Tuesday ... and as he was shown appreciation for all his hard work on the court from 1992-96, he returned the favor by telling the team owners he'd love to come back in some capacity.

"To the DeVos family, whenever you want me to quit TNT and come back home, you give me a call," Shaq said. "I'll be here in an instant."

The comment was met with cheers ... and the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

Shaq also said in his speech it was an honor to be the first player in Magic history to get his digits in the rafters ... but admitted he felt it would've happened to his teammate, Nick Anderson, first.

He also shouted out Penny Hardaway -- reminiscing on how he was adamant the team find away to bring him to Orlando -- and many other teammates, staffers and execs that helped pave the way during the first stop in his Hall of Fame career.

The whole event was fitting for the larger-than-life figure ... and he was also gifted a custom team-themed jacket, which was presented by his children.

It's unclear exactly what role Shaq would play in a job with the Magic, but he does have some experience in ownership with the Sacramento Kings in the past.

Shaq was a dominant force during his time with Orlando -- averaging 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in 295 games -- reaching the NBA Finals in 1995.

Former San Antonio Spurs guard Bryn Forbes has been arrested for the second time in the last year ... after he was accused yet again of putting his hands on a woman.

Jail records in Bexar County, Texas show Forbes was thrown behind bars on Tuesday afternoon and booked on a felony domestic violence charge.

Court documents, obtained by News 4's Mariah Medina, show the arrest all stemmed from an alleged violent encounter the basketball player had with the mother of his two children on Monday in San Antonio.

According to the docs, the woman told officers Forbes banged on her apartment's window -- and when she let him in, "he immediately punched her in the head."

Officials say the woman told them Forbes then choked her with his forearms, the collar of her shirt ... and then his bare hands.

The docs state the woman told Forbes she could not breathe ... but he allegedly responded, "if you can speak then you are not being choked."

Officials say the woman told them she was ultimately able to get away from Forbes but had soreness in her neck afterward.

This is not the first time the 30-year-old hooper has been accused of getting violent with a female ... back in February 2023, he allegedly hit a woman "several times" after a night out on the town in Bexar County.

Forbes was tagged with an assault charge over the allegations ... but court records show he entered into a pretrial diversion program back in June 2023.

Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević was laid to rest on Monday ... and hundreds paid tribute to the beloved figure at his funeral in Serbia, including Steve Kerr.

The GSW head coach was spotted in the rain at a Belgrade cemetery almost a month after Milojević suffered a fatal heart attack while dining out with the team in Salt Lake City.

You can see the 58-year-old Kerr standing amongst mourners, wearing a DM tribute pin on his black blazer.

Former Warriors players Zaza Pachulia and Mike Dunleavy Jr., who is currently the Warriors general manager, were also in attendance.

Kerr will miss the Warriors game tonight against the Jazz in Utah.

Milojević -- known as Deky -- became a Warriors assistant coach in 2021 ... after a career coaching and playing in Serbia.

The NBA was devastated by Deky's shocking death ... with commissioner Adam Silver calling Milojević "a beloved colleague and dear friend to so many in the global basketball community."

"Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, Natasa, their children, Nikola and Masa, and the Warriors organization during this tragic time."

The Warriors paid tribute to Deky in a bunch of different ways, including wearing the beloved coach's initials on their jerseys.

Consider Baron Davis on Stephen Jackson's side in his beef with Austin Rivers ... 'cause the former Hornets and Warriors star tells TMZ Sports he believes pairing LeBron James with his son, Bronny, would work wonders for the young hooper.

TMZ Sports caught up with B. Diddy just days after Rivers claimed it would be bad if King James' team drafted the USC standout ... which was met with heavy criticism from the "All the Smoke" podcast host, who referred to the former Clipper as "trash."

Davis -- who played 15 seasons in the NBA -- weighed in on the debate while out in Vegas for the Super Bowl festivities ... and he's optimistic about the potential pairing.

"Your daddy is LeBron James," Davis said, "I think it will do nothing but help him."

"You say it'll enable him because your daddy on the team, but like, nah, that s*** different. That's LeBron. LeBron's a coach, a basketball genius and that's his seed."

Davis used Ken Griffey Jr. as an example ... as the former MLB legend played with his dad on the Mariners in the 90s -- making them the first father/son duo to play on the same Major League Baseball team together.

"There's a certain type of swag, there's a certain type of s*** that you really didn't get to see as a kid," Davis said.

"Now you there, you get to see your dad's whole layout."

At the end of the day, Davis feels Rivers' own comparison to being coached by his dad is totally different than Bronny playing with his pops ... and the James duo will benefit whichever franchise they play on.

"[Bronny] already got the DNA. Now you got the whole layout, the whole trajectory, and the blueprint laid out for you."

Shaquille O'Neal organizó la mayor y más alocada fiesta previa al Super Bowl en Las Vegas, convirtiendo el evento en su "Shaq Fun House" anual, ¡y que contó con la actuación de nada menos que Lil Wayne!

La retirada leyenda de la NBA dio inicio a su velada del viernes en el club nocturno XS, en el Strip de Las Vegas, con hordas de gente abarrotando el local para presenciar la maestría de Shaq como DJ seguida del enérgico espectáculo de Wayne.

Echa un vistazo a este video obtenido por TMZ, Shaq, que también se hace llamar DJ Diesel, puso en marcha el tocadiscos y pinchó algunas canciones para hacer vibrar a la multitud.

Luciendo grandes joyas alrededor de su cuello, Shaq se encargó de la música house durante un rato hasta que Diplo tomó el mando como DJ antes de que llegara el momento de sacar al icono del hip hop, alias Wayne.

Después de que Wayne subiera al escenario, rapeó como si no existiera el mañana, logrando que la multitud se pusiera frenética.

Wayne interpretó algunos de sus mayores éxitos, como "6 Foot 7 Foot" y "John". Y al público le encantó, y por supuesto, grabó todo con sus celulares.

Hubo un momento conmovedor en el que Shaq se emocionó al hablar de la inauguración de la nueva estatua de la superestrella de la NBA Kobe Bryant.

Shaquille O'Neal threw the biggest and craziest pre-Super Bowl party in Las Vegas, turning the event into his annual "Shaq Fun House" -- with a major performance by none other than Lil Wayne!

The retired NBA legend kicked off the Friday night soiree at XS nightclub on the Vegas strip with hordes of people packing the venue to bear witness to Shaq's master skills as a disc jockey followed by Wayne's energetic show.

Check out this video, obtained by TMZ ... Shaq, who also goes by the name DJ Diesel, revved up the record player and spun some tunes, getting into the groove with the crowd.

Wearing some major bling around his neck, Shaq kept the house music going for a while until Diplo took over the DJ duties before it was time to bring out the hip hop icon ... AKA Wayne.

After Wayne took to the stage, he rapped like there was no tomorrow, getting the crowd all worked up into a frenzy.

Wayne performed some of his biggest hits, such as "6 Foot 7 Foot" and "John." And the audience just loved it, recording the whole gig with their cell phone cameras.

There was one touching moment when Shaq got emotional while talking about the recent unveiling of late NBA superstar Kobe Bryant's new statue.

Jason Kidd lit NBA Twitter/X on fire for saying Luka Doncic is better than Dirk Nowitzki ... but Shawn Marion is coming to his defense -- telling TMZ Sports the Mavs coach's comments were simply based on skill set, not accolades.

ICYMI, Kidd -- who started coaching the Mavs in 2021 -- recently said Doncic has surpassed Nowitzki in his eyes ... as the 24-year-old "does things that Dirk could never do."

Kidd was ripped for his comment ... especially since Dirk -- a 7-foot forward who can drain threes -- led the Mavs to their first NBA Finals title in 2011.

But Marion -- who was on that championship squad with Dirk and J. Kidd -- said people were mixing up what Jason truly meant ... and he doesn't think it was meant to downplay all Nowitzki did for the franchise.

"He's talking about the whole package," Marion told TMZ Sports. "He's talking about his skill set."

"He's not approaching [Dirk] in the accolades. There's no comparison [there]."

Marion is not taking anything away from Doncic ... pointing out the Mavs guard has amazing highlights at just the age of 24, including his recent 73-point game -- his career-high and franchise record.

Of course, old-school NBA fans would say Doncic can get so many points up because of the lack of defense in today's game ... but Marion -- who played 16 seasons -- says the game is just evolving at a faster pace.

"Layups are almost becoming null and void," the 45-year-old said. "They're making a conscious effort to get shots up within two passes."

"We ran systems, we had sets [in our era]. It's a big difference when you just running to score."